The Speer School for Boys
A. C. Speer - (Photo SC-0007)
After the Dellwood Park and hotel closed in about 1910, according to life-long Mt. Pleasant resident Louie Moore, in 1911-1912 the Chamber of Commerce tried to think of something to do with the big hotel. They contacted A. C. Speer, owner of a private preparatory school in Lancaster, Texas. When Mr. Speer saw the new hotel, he jumped at the chance to move his school here and rented the property from Dellwood Park's owners.
The Academy Preparatory School for Boys opened in 1912 with an enrollment of about 100 students, including about fifteen from Mt. Pleasant. Among the local students were Mr. Moore, Charley Dicks, and Arthur Werner. The local boys walked to the school every day.
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the Speer School for Boys.
Speer's school had a band and good baseball and football teams. In addition to his school, Mr. Speer lectured at schools and churches all over the area. According to Mr. Moore, people thought Speer's school would be a college-level institution (which he compared to Harvard), but it turned out to be about like a high school.
The school was successful through 1912 and 1913. Graduation exercises were held for the class of 1913 in the spring of 1914. By then attendance had fallen off considerably and the school was closed due to lack of attendance.
Mr. Speer left Mt. Pleasant and was later associated with Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
